4 questions for a pro: waterfront real estate expert Bryan Guentner

Published: Friday, November 23, 2012 at 5:23 p.m.

Last Modified: Friday, November 23, 2012 at 5:23 p.m.

Originally from Milwaukee, Bryan Guentner has been in real estate as an agent and broker in Sarasota and Manatee counties since the 1980s. An expert in the luxury and waterfront property market, he has had some of the biggest sales in the area. He and his wife, Cheri, have owned RE/MAX Platinum Realty since 2006.

From their first office in Osprey, which continues to be their headquarters, they have expanded to downtown Sarasota, Venice and St. Armands Key. They have 43 agents and just opened their fifth office, in Lakewood Ranch. That is where correspondent Chris Angermann caught up with Guentner to talk about some of the issues not usually addressed in luxury and high-end waterfront property.

Q:Why do you think is it important for your clients to work with reputable Realtors?

A:With waterfront and luxury property, there are a lot of specific issues that people don't think about, even sophisticated, well-to-do buyers. Local people building their second or third house may be a little more knowledgeable. But international buyers from Canada, the U.K. or Germany, who have other resort property, may not have experience with an area like our Gulf shores. Even for buyers from other states, who may live on a lake or in Colorado in the mountains, it's not the same as buying waterfront property here. They're not going to understand all of the ins and outs. They may be multiple-home owners, but when it comes to waterfront, they're first-time buyers.

Q:What are some of those ins and outs?

A:They may want to expand the property, but is it in a coastal construction line — a state line that says you're not supposed to build in front of it? Is it near the Gulf beach setback line, which is a county line that you can't cross when building? You can look them up, but it's good to back it up with a survey.

When it comes to inspections, it shouldn't be just the typical home and termite inspections. In many cases, there should be a dock and seawall inspection. Certain areas on the waterfront can have a fishing pier, but not a boat dock. But fishing piers can look like docks, so buyers may think they can put a boat there when they really can't.

If they have a 50-foot boat, where should they buy? On the east side of Siesta Key, the depth is nowhere near what it is by the north bridge — Bay Island, Roberts Bay — where you've got great water depth for large-size boats. There are charts that show the water depth, but if you ask most real estate agents, they don't have one. Also, while the buyer may be happy with a 25-foot boat today, having a 30- or 40-foot dock might be better for resale. A good Realtor, trying to find out their needs, would ask the right questions.

Q:Are there any other hidden concerns unique to luxury and waterfront homes?

A:Yes. Sometimes you have beautiful homes with elevated swimming pools that weren't built to the ground, and they could be putting stress on the foundations. It might be good to have an engineer looking at that. We've seen it more often than you might think. If the pool was constructed with a shell separate from the house, it's usually OK, but I've seen it where it's all one structure, and it created problems. You wouldn't know it if it wasn't pointed out, and even it has been disclosed, it's a good idea to have it checked out further.

Q:What about special environmental issues?

A:We often deal with mangroves. Even if buyers don't know the details, they should at least know how the regulations will affect them. Can you keep them trimmed? If the mangroves grow out, can you cut them back? When you're spending $3 million on a property and you're buying it for the view, it can become a big deal. Buyers may want to bring in a certified mangrove trimmer to give them an opinion about what they can and can't do.

There might also be a conservation easement issue. On the first property I sold on Siesta Key, the owner had made a deal with the state. He could trim some of the mangroves to get a good view, but he had to leave another part of his property area in its natural state. That was the mitigation and compromise he reached with the state; and that that passed on to the new owner.

<p>Originally from Milwaukee, Bryan Guentner has been in real estate as an agent and broker in Sarasota and Manatee counties since the 1980s. An expert in the luxury and waterfront property market, he has had some of the biggest sales in the area. He and his wife, Cheri, have owned RE/MAX Platinum Realty since 2006.</p><p>From their first office in Osprey, which continues to be their headquarters, they have expanded to downtown Sarasota, Venice and St. Armands Key. They have 43 agents and just opened their fifth office, in Lakewood Ranch. That is where correspondent Chris Angermann caught up with Guentner to talk about some of the issues not usually addressed in luxury and high-end waterfront property.</p><p>Q:Why do you think is it important for your clients to work with reputable Realtors?</p><p>A:With waterfront and luxury property, there are a lot of specific issues that people don't think about, even sophisticated, well-to-do buyers. Local people building their second or third house may be a little more knowledgeable. But international buyers from Canada, the U.K. or Germany, who have other resort property, may not have experience with an area like our Gulf shores. Even for buyers from other states, who may live on a lake or in Colorado in the mountains, it's not the same as buying waterfront property here. They're not going to understand all of the ins and outs. They may be multiple-home owners, but when it comes to waterfront, they're first-time buyers.</p><p>Q:What are some of those ins and outs?</p><p>A:They may want to expand the property, but is it in a coastal construction line — a state line that says you're not supposed to build in front of it? Is it near the Gulf beach setback line, which is a county line that you can't cross when building? You can look them up, but it's good to back it up with a survey.</p><p>When it comes to inspections, it shouldn't be just the typical home and termite inspections. In many cases, there should be a dock and seawall inspection. Certain areas on the waterfront can have a fishing pier, but not a boat dock. But fishing piers can look like docks, so buyers may think they can put a boat there when they really can't.</p><p>If they have a 50-foot boat, where should they buy? On the east side of Siesta Key, the depth is nowhere near what it is by the north bridge — Bay Island, Roberts Bay — where you've got great water depth for large-size boats. There are charts that show the water depth, but if you ask most real estate agents, they don't have one. Also, while the buyer may be happy with a 25-foot boat today, having a 30- or 40-foot dock might be better for resale. A good Realtor, trying to find out their needs, would ask the right questions.</p><p>Q:Are there any other hidden concerns unique to luxury and waterfront homes?</p><p>A:Yes. Sometimes you have beautiful homes with elevated swimming pools that weren't built to the ground, and they could be putting stress on the foundations. It might be good to have an engineer looking at that. We've seen it more often than you might think. If the pool was constructed with a shell separate from the house, it's usually OK, but I've seen it where it's all one structure, and it created problems. You wouldn't know it if it wasn't pointed out, and even it has been disclosed, it's a good idea to have it checked out further.</p><p>Q:What about special environmental issues?</p><p>A:We often deal with mangroves. Even if buyers don't know the details, they should at least know how the regulations will affect them. Can you keep them trimmed? If the mangroves grow out, can you cut them back? When you're spending $3 million on a property and you're buying it for the view, it can become a big deal. Buyers may want to bring in a certified mangrove trimmer to give them an opinion about what they can and can't do. </p><p>There might also be a conservation easement issue. On the first property I sold on Siesta Key, the owner had made a deal with the state. He could trim some of the mangroves to get a good view, but he had to leave another part of his property area in its natural state. That was the mitigation and compromise he reached with the state; and that that passed on to the new owner.</p>